Heritage Action for America: John Boehner ‘disappointing’

A major conservative group has ripped House Speaker John Boehner for his comments criticizing some Republicans for failing to have the political courage to back immigration reform.

Heritage Action for America, the sister organization for The Heritage Foundation, said in a statement Tuesday the GOP leader’s comments were “disappointing” and were aimed at advancing “D.C. special interests.”

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Boehner mocks colleagues on immigration

“It’s disappointing, but by now not surprising, that the Republican speaker is attacking conservatives looking to retake the Senate,” the statement read. “The Republican Party should be large enough for fact-based policy debates. Unfortunately, John Boehner is more interested in advancing the agenda of high-powered D.C. special interests than inspiring Americans with a policy vision that allows freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society to flourish.”

Heritage was responding to a Cincinnati Enquirer report that Boehner “theatrically mocked his fellow Republican congressmen for being afraid to reform immigration policy.” The House speaker’s comments came Thursday at an event in his home Ohio 8th District. Boehner, who highlighted his attempts to pass immigration reform for over a year, said many of his GOP colleagues “take the path of least resistance.”

Brendan Buck, a Boehner spokesman, said in response to the Enquirer report: “As the speaker often says to his colleagues, you only tease the ones you love.”

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona on Friday backed the House speaker, saying on Twitter: “Encouraged by @SpeakerBoehner’s efforts to bring immigration reform legislation to the House floor.”

Flake voted in favor of the Senate immigration bill that passed last June and recently backed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s comments that many immigrants come to the U.S. illegally as an “act of love.”

And the top Democrat in the House is seizing on Boehner’s comments, urging him to force action on an immigration bill. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “Sounds like @SpeakerBoehner needs to heed his own words, and bring #immigration reform up for a vote #TimeIsNow.”